Timing device



M. H. RHODES TIMING DEVICE May 15, 1951 Original Filed Oct. 25, 1943 Patented May 15, 1951 Marcus H. Rhodes, Hartford, Conn, assigno'r to M. H. Rhodes, Ind, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Original application October 25, 1943, Serial No. 5075639. Divided and this application March 14, 1947, Serial No. 734,650

3 Glaims. 1

This application is a division of my 'c'opending application Serial No. 507,639, filed October -25, 1943, now Patent Number 2,430,583, dated November 11, 1947 which, in turn, wasa division of my copending application Serial No. 349,119 filed August 1, 1940, this latter application having issued as Patent No. 2,369,688, dated February 20, 1945.

The present invention relates to timing devices, and more particularly to coin controlled timing devices whereby the operator may set a clockworks for operation through a predetermined period of time upon the deposit of a suitab1e coin. This device has particular utility, for example, in the parking meter field.

The type of coin controlled timing device to which the present invention relates is one in which the operator may manually wind a clockworks and set an indicator to show the length of time through which the clockworks will operate, such indicator being returned to initial position during the running down of the clockworks. The device is conditioned for a winding'operation upon the deposit of a suitable coin into the device by the operator.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a coin controlled timing device of the character described which has a single coin receiving slot in its casing, but which is adapted to receive coins of varying value through said slot and to permit the winding of the clockworks for periods of time proportional to the values of the coins deposited.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a coin controlled timing device of the character described which is non-accumulative in operation. By this is meant that the clockworks a1- ways will be wound to the same extent depending upon the value of the coin deposited and such winding will not be additive to the period of time remaining on the indicator from a previous winding operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coin controlled timing device which provides the features referred to above but which is of simple and. compact design whereby the device may be mounted in a compact housin of pleasing appearance while, at the same time, the de-' vice is of efiicient construction and will not be readily susceptible to malfunctioning under ordinary conditions of operation.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements 2 and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set "forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

Referring to thedrawin'gs:

Figure '1 is a vertical, central, cross sectional view of a parking meter "embodying m invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View similar to that of Fig. 2 to illustrate the operation of the device with a coin of difierent value; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, cross sectional View taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the coin controlled timing device 'of the present invention is shown mounted in a rectangular casing Ill having a semicircular top portion H and provided at the front of the casing with a semi-circular opening I2 in which is positioned a viewing glass I3. Back of the glass 13 is a scale I4 upon which are indi'cia (not shown) to measure the amount of time for which the device has been set. In front of the scale I4 and movable there'over by a clockwork mechanism 15 is a semi-circular shield I6 which is fixed-on a shaft ll of the clockwork mechanism I5. This arrangement is such that the clockwork mechanism I5 may be Wound by rotation of the shaft 11, which shaft at the same time turns the shield I6 to a rotated position which reveals on the scale I4 the amount of time which the clockwork mechanism I5 will run to return to its original position. As the clockwork mechanism unwinds, the shaft I1 is slowly turned in a reverse direction with the result that the shield I6 eventually covers the entire scale I4.

Journaled in the rear of the casing II] in alignment with shaft I1 is a shaft 18 to which is fixed an operating handle I9 by means of which the shaft I8 may be manually turned. Fixed to the interior end of the shaft I8 is a coin carrier 2!! which comprises a circular plate 2| having a cylindrical flange 22. The coin carrier 20 is arranged to closely fit within a stationary circular bearing surface 23 within thecasin'g ID.

Pivotally mounted on a pin 24 on the coin carrier 20 is a coin receiver 25 which is urged outwardly toward the circumference of the coin carrier 2e by a spring 26 mounted on a pin 21. The coin receiver 25 is formed with an arcuate pocket 28 in which is adapted to be received a coin 29 which may be deposited therein through a coin slot 38 in the casing It.

The coin slot 30 is provided with a coin retain= ing member 3| whichprevents removal of the coin from the slot 30 after the same has been inserted therethrough. The cylindrical flange '22 of the coin carrier at is slotted between the lines 32-32 to permit a coin to be deposited onto the arcuate pocket 23 of the coin receiver 25 when the coin carrier is rotated to a position so as to align the arcuate pocket 28 with the coin slot 30. Pins 33 and 34 assist in positioning the.

coin on the arcuate pocket 28 and prevent the coin from sliding off the coin receiver during rotation of the coin carrier 23.

The shaft H of the clockwork mechanism V pivoted position, the lug 39 is at a distance from the shaft !8 such that it will engage the dog 35 forming a driving connection between the coin carrier 23 and the shaft H of the clockwork mechanism l5. Further rotation of the handle i9 therefore causes turning of the dog 35 and shaft I! to wind up the clockwork mechanism I5 and also causes the shield l 3 to be turned a corresponding distance to indicate the amount to which the clockworks is wound up. This simultaneous operation of the coin carrier '29, clockwork mechanism [5, and shield 15 after engagement of lug 39 and dog 35 continues until the coin is brought around to the opening 4| where the coin drops into the coin chute 42 p and permits the coin receiver% to return to its original pivoted position by action of the spring 26. The predetermined angular position of dog 35 may be so selected, for example, that the fivecent'piece will cause winding of the clockwork mechanism [5 and rotation of the shieldlfi -to provide approximately sixty minutes of purchased time.

the clockworks andsetting'the shield 13. When the'c'lockworks runs down,'dog 35 and U-shaped member 38 are returned to original position.

The coin receiver is provided with a lug 39 which is adapted to selectively engage the dog or a projecting portion 48 on the dog 7 depending upon the extent to which the coin a penny will space the coin receiver 25 away H from the bearing surface 23 a distance such that lug 39 will not engage dog 35 but will engage projecting portion 4!! of dog 36 when the carrier -is rotated.

When a coin is deposited in the arcuate pocket '28 of the coin receiver 25 and the coin carrier 20 is rotated by means of the operating handle I9, the coin is carried around the "interior of the bearing surface'23 until it reaches the opening 4| which permits the coin to drop'by gravity into the coin chute 42, which coin chute is provided with a temporary coin holder comprising a spring member 43 which frictionally engages the coin to retain same in front of the viewing glass 44 until a subsequent coin is discharged through the opening 4| forcing the previous coin out of coin chute 42 and into a permanent coin receiving box (not shown) situated below the coin chute 42. V

The operation of the device will be understood from the above description taken in connection with the following explanation. Assumf ing that a five-cent piece is inserted through the coin slot 30. the same will be received between the pins 33 and 34 and within the arcuate pocket 28 of the coin receiver 25 assuming that the coin carrier 24 is'in a rotated position so that the opening 32-32 is aligned with the coin slot 33. When the coin carrier 23 is then rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3 by operation of the handle H), the coin engages and is held inwardly by the bearing surface 23 and thereby spaces the coin receiver 25 inwardly a distance depending upon the diameter of the five-cent piece. This position is shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 and in dash lines in Fig. 3. When the coin receiver 25 is in 5 91 If, instead of a five-cent piece, a pennyis inserted into the coin slot 33'so as to be received in the arcuate pocket 23 of the coin receiver 25, turning of the coin carrier 23 by'the operating handle 19 will cause the coin receiver 25 to be pivoted outwardly and remain spaced a smaller distance from the bearing surface 23, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 3 and as compared with the dash line position shown therein. With the coin receiver 25 pivoted to this position, the lug 39 is so positioned that it misses the dog 35 during further rotation of the'coin carrier 29 by the operating handle H3. "The lug 39, however, will engage'the projecting portion 46 of the dog 33 so as to" rotate this dog with the coin carrier 23. Turning of the dog 35 becomes effective for winding the clockwork mechanism l5 and for turning the shield l6 only when the projection 31 of' the dog 36 engages the U-shaped member 38. In the specific embodiment shown, this occurs approximately" at the dash line position shown in' Figs; 2 and 3. Accordingly, the clockwork mechanism 15 will be wound a much smaller amount before the coin is released through the opening 4! into the coin chute 42 as previously described. 'In general, it is preferred to select an initial angular position of U-shaped member 38 such that the amount of time purchased by use of a'penny is approximately one-fifth of that purchased by the use of a five-cent piece, which, in the specific example given above, would be approximately twelve minutes.

As will be apparent, the clockworks will be wound to the same extent each time that a coin of selected value is utilized. If a second coin is inserted into the device and the operating handle 19 is turned while the clockworks is onlypar tially run down and there is still sometime shown on the indicator by the shield iii, the lug 39 on the coin receiver 25 will engage dog 35, or U-shaped member 33 through dog 36 de pending on the denomination of coin utilized at a later angular position depending upon the extent to which dog 35 and member 38 have been returned toward initial position by the clock? works. The amount to which the clockworks is then wound is only suflicient to return the clockworks and shield to the maximum wound position for the particular coin selected. As a result, the device'is non-accumulativeand there is not required any means. for preventing the insertionof more than a predetermined number of coins which, if the device were accumulative, might cause breakage by completely windin 1 p the clockworks.

There thus has been provided, in accordance with the invention, a coin actuated timing device which has a single coin receiving slot in the casing and which a coin receiver having a single space for receiving the deposited coin, and yet the device is operable for setting the clockwork mechanism for periods of time in relation to the different values of the deposited coin. Moreover, the device is non-accumulative and will always set the clockworks for the same predetermined period of operation for a given value of coin regardless of the previous condition of the clockwcrks, i. e., whether it is fully or only partially run down following a previous winding operation.

The device is of simple construction and at the same time is foolproof in operation and will function satisfactorily over long periods of time without breakage or other malfunctioning. The device may be fabricated of easily manufactured parts and is easy to assemble and disassemble.

As many changes could he made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. A coin controlled timing device comprising a casing having a single coin admitting slot therein, a coin carrier rotatably mounted within said casing, means for rotating the coin carrier, a single stationary bearing surface adjacent the periphery of said coin carrier, a coin receiver pivotally mounted on the coin carrier for pivoting movement in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the carrier toward and away from the periphery of the coin carrier, means form ing a single coin receiving space for seating a coin deposited through said slot in said perpendicular plane between the coin receiver and said bearing surface, said bearing surface being effective during rotation of the coin carrier between a first and second rotated position to cam the coin receiver inwardly by tangential engagement with the periphery of the coin and for varying distances depending upon the diameter of the deposited coin, a clockworks having a winding and setting shaft coaxial with the coin carrier, a plurality of winding members fixed to the shaft at varying angular positions between said rotated positions of the coin carrier, and means selectively forming a driving connection between said coin receiver and one of said winding members depending upon said distance that the coin receiver is spaced from said bearing surface by the coin selected.

2. A coin controlled timing device comprising a housing, a coin carrier rotatably mounted therein, manually operable means for rotating the coin carrier, a coin receiver for receiving coins of varying denomination pivotally mounted on said carrier for pivoting movement in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the carrier and toward and .away from the .peripherythereof,.said coin receiver having means forming a pocket for a coin disposed in said plane perpendicular to the axis of the carrier, spring means biasing the coin receiver toward the periphery of the coin carrier, means forming an opening in the housing to perm-it the insertion-of a coin disposed in said plane perpendicular to the axis of the carrier into said space at one rotated position of the coin carrier, means forming a downwardly directed passageway for receiving the coin from said space at a second rotated position of the coin carrier, a stationary bearing surface arranged coaxially with said coin carrier and closely adjacent the periphery thereof against which a coin in said coin receiving space is adapted to engage thus spacing the coin receiver from the bearing surface for a distance depending upon the size of the coin selected, said bearing surface extending between said opening and said passageway, a clockworks having a winding shaft coaxial with said coin carrier, a plurality of winding members mounted on said shaft having coin receiver engaging means at different radial distances from said shaft and arranged to be engaged selectively by said coin receiver when rotated into alignment therewith and depending upon its spaced position, whereby the clockworks may be wound to a predetermined amount by manual rotation of the coin carrier depending upon the denomination of coin employed.

3. A coin controlled timing device comprising a rotatably mounted coin carrier, means for r0- tating the coin carrier, a coin receiver pivotally mounted on said carrier for pivoting movement in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the carrier toward and away from the periphery of the carrier, said receiver being formed with a recess for receiving a coin disposed in the same perpendicular plane, a fixed bearing surface coaxial with said carrier against which a coin deposited in said coin receiving space is adapted to engage and thus space the coin receiver from the bearing surface during rotation of the coin carrier, means forming an upwardly directed opening at one end of the bearing surface to permit the insertion of any one of a plurality of coins of different denomination into said recess when the carrier is at a rotated position to align the recess with the opening, means forming a downwardly directed release opening at the other end of the bearing surface for releasing a coin from said space when the carrier is at a rotated position to align the recess with the last named opening, a clockworks having a winding and setting shaft coaxial with said coin carrier, a plurality of winding members fixed to said shaft adapted to be selectively engaged by said coin receiver depending upon the size of the coin positioned in said space, said winding members having carrier engaging means disposed at varying radial distances from said bearing surface and being normally positioned at varying angular distances from said coin releasing position of the coin carrier whereby the winding of the clockworks is proportional to the denomination of coin employed.

MARCUS H. RHODES.

(References on following page) REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Richter Nov. 11, 1913 Holloway .1, June 13, 1916 Canfield Aug. 30, 1921 Madsen Jan. ,9, 1923 10 Number Number Name Date Miller et a1. Mar. 31, 1931 Walker July 12, 1932 V Dawson May 9, 1933 Smith et a1. Aug. '7, 1934 Nefi Dec. 1, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Aug. 28, 1934 

